Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-11-17
The following is the governors decision
In full in the anarchist case:

The following Is the governors decision
| In full in the anarchist case:
S TIE OF ILLINOIS EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
SPRISGFIELD, Nov. 10, 81
On the 9th day Of August, 1856, in the
Cook county criminal court August Spies,
| Albert X. Parsons, Samuel k. Fielden,
Michael Schwab, Adolph Fischer, George
by the verdict Of the jury and afterwards
sentenced to be hanged for the murder of
Matthias j. began.
An appeal was taken from such finding
and sentence to the supreme court of thu
state. The court upon final bearing and
after mature elaboration, unanimo usly at
| tirmed the judgment OF the court below.
The case now comes before me by petition
| of the defendants for consideration, as
| governor of the state. IL the letters
George Engel and Louis Lingg demand
| ing unconditional release or as they
express it liberty or DEATH and pro-
testing In the strongest language against
mercy or Communication OF tine sentence
pronounced against them, can be consid-
| cred petitions, pardon, could it he granted,
which might imply any guilt whatever
| upon the part of eithor OF them, would
not be such vindication; as they demand
exec utive Intervention upon the grounds
| insisted upon by the four named persons,
could in no proper sense be deemed an ex-
ercise of the constitutional power to
grant reprleves combinations and par
dcns unless based upon the belief on my
part OF their entire innocence of the crime
Of which they stand convicted. A careful
| consideration of the evidence in the record
of the trial OF the parties, as well as of all
alleged and Gained for them outside OF
the record, has failed TO produce upon my
mind any impression tending to impeach
the verdict OF the jury or the Judgment
| of the trial court or OF the supreme court
affirming the guilt OF all these parties
Satisfied, therefore, as j am, OF their guilt,
am precluded from considering the ques.
ton OF Communication of the sentence OF
Albert r. Parsons, Adolph Fischer George
Engel and Louis Lingg To imprison-
ment in the penitentiary, ns they en-
phatically declare they will not accept
| such Communication, Samuel Fielden.
Michael Swab and August Spies unite in n
petition for executive clemency."
Fielden and Schwab in addition present
separate and supplementary petitions for
the Communication Of their sentences
While as said above am satisfied of the
guilt of all parties, as found by the ver-
dict OF the jury, which was sustained by
the judgments OF the courts, q most care
full consideration Of the whole subject
leads me to the conclusion that the SEN
tence OF the law to Samuel Fielden and
Michael Schwab may be modified as to
each of them, in the interest of humanity
and without doing violence to public JUS
tice. And as TO the said Samuel Fielden
and Michael Schwnb, sentence is com
muted to Imprisonment in the peniten-
.iary for life. AS to all the other above
| named defendants, do not feel justified
in interfering with the sentence OF the
court. While l would gladly have come
to a different conclusion in regard to the
sentence OF defendants August Spies,
Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Albert K.
Parsons and Louis Lingg, l regret to say
that under the solemn sense of the obliga-
tions of my Office i have been unable to
doso.
RICHARD J. OGLEsBr,.
Governor.